We've closed runways at PHL more than once due to Turtles as well. One of the city vehicles has to go out and clear them out of the way. Makes that guy's job intresting when they're snapping turtles though.

I think Big Foot is blurry, Its not the photographers fault. Theres a large out of focus monster roaming the countryside

Quoting WILCO737 (Reply 4):They can send out a car and clear the runway. Have seen that with other animals already. Not turtles, but rabbits or something like that.

Well rabbits will naturally just run away if you drove past them, but turtles aren't exactly that fast, and someone would have to actually pick them up in order to move them.

Quoting Wagz (Reply 5):We've closed runways at PHL more than once due to Turtles as well. One of the city vehicles has to go out and clear them out of the way. Makes that guy's job intresting when they're snapping turtles though.

For this reason it seems like it would have to be someone who's trained to handle animals, like Wildlife Rescue. If the turtles are a protected species you might not be able to get just anyone to move them, only trained proffesionals.

Quoting Thestooges (Reply 6):
For this reason it seems like it would have to be someone who's trained to handle animals, like Wildlife Rescue. If the turtles are a protected species you might not be able to get just anyone to move them, only trained proffesionals.

What a waste of time that would be and a great example of government red tape. You know the pro will come out there and do the same thing I would do. Pick up the turtles and move them to another spot

Quoting Thestooges (Reply 6):
For this reason it seems like it would have to be someone who's trained to handle animals, like Wildlife Rescue. If the turtles are a protected species you might not be able to get just anyone to move them, only trained proffesionals.

The Port Authority has wildlife personnel on staff. They went out there and picked up the turtles.

Quoting Falstaff (Reply 7):I would like to a see a picture of the turtles on the runway. How many were there? How did they know they were there? Did a plane run over a few and report crunch noises?

Pilots reported seeing them...they had been using that runway at the time, not sure if any got run over.

Sadly this is very true. LMAO I was working at T-5 and we just pushed a flt out and we were waiting for our next one. Anyway, Port Aurthority came over to our gate to do some video of us for a training video. Well we waited half an hour for our flt to come in cuz it was stuck on the taxi way because of the ground delay due to the turtles to which i found out from the Port Authority guy that was shooting the video. I thought he was full of you know what but he explained to me that this time of year, they walk in from the swamp area next to the runnways. You wouldn't believe what a mess this made of not just our system but for every airline in JFK. Delays like you wouldn't believe because of this. The que lines were unreal not to mention how back up our alley was. There was just no room for our flts to get out. I would love to be the pilot explaining a half hour delay was due to turtles.

Quoting Contrails15 (Reply 11):There was just no room for our flts to get out. I would love to be the pilot explaining a half hour delay was due to turtles.

I was taxiing around JFK waiting to depart for over 2 hours last night on BA114. We were number 50 in the queue and went on a guided tour of the field. I guess this is normal? Is there a pre-defined route you have to take? We were in a procession of aeroplanes randomly going up and down taxiways and runways. Finally airbourne at 0036 vice 2130. Urgh.

Quoting Falstaff (Reply 7):What a waste of time that would be and a great example of government red tape. You know the pro will come out there and do the same thing I would do. Pick up the turtles and move them to another spot

Do you know how to handle a snapping turtle?

If, for instance, a mechanic or air traffic controller calls in sick, will it be OK to substitute with, say, a wildlife specialist, because isn't it just as simple to unscrew a wing nut or queue up a dozen planes for takeoff?

Quoting Myt332 (Reply 12):
I was taxiing around JFK waiting to depart for over 2 hours last night on BA114. We were number 50 in the queue and went on a guided tour of the field. I guess this is normal? Is there a pre-defined route you have to take? We were in a procession of aeroplanes randomly going up and down taxiways and runways. Finally airbourne at 0036 vice 2130.

That's not uncommon during the departure rush, unfortunately. I was on the ground for about an hour and a half on BA112 a couple of weeks ago. There is no pre-defined route as such, but the ATC guys have their contingency plans for when the field backs up, and then the planes always follow the same pattern. When they're departing 22R, they form a line on 13L and another on taxiway C, let all the planes in one of the lines go, then let all the planes in the other line go. For 13R departures, the same principle exists, except the lines are on taxiways P and Q. From the METARs, you probably departed on 4L, which has one long line that extends down taxiway K and 13R as far as it needs to go (it can get all the way down to the end and loop around onto the taxiways if things get really screwed up).

Given what they have to work with, the procedures are pretty efficient (using two lines lets the aircraft stop and shut down their engines to save fuel, rather than creeping along and having to keep the engines running), but the simple fact remains that when you only have one runway, and a lot of planes want to use it, it's going to get congested. That's especially true when talking about heavy jets, which shut down the runway for at least two minutes every time they go - those slow down the works even more.

Quoting Mir (Reply 14): There is no pre-defined route as such, but the ATC guys have their contingency plans for when the field backs up, and then the planes always follow the same pattern

Thanks for that, it kind of makes more sense now. It's just hard to believe it can get so screwed up like it does. We definitely taxied down 13R at some point and I think we actually went off 31L. It was out over Jamaica Bay with that funky left turn.

I was taxiing around JFK waiting to depart for over 2 hours last night on BA114. We were number 50 in the queue and went on a guided tour of the field. I guess this is normal? Is there a pre-defined route you have to take? We were in a procession of aeroplanes randomly going up and down taxiways and runways. Finally airbourne at 0036 vice 2130.

That is normal, welcome to JFK in the evening. What is not noraml, 40 and up que line for takeoff with god only knows how many inbounds waiting to taxi to gates at 0930 on a Wed. JFK ground I'm sure had the Pepto Bismal flowing like milk and honey in that tower. This as they say was just one of those days.
You gottta love JFK

I was on taxiway Kilo headed for departure from 4L when the invasion begun. It was hilarious seeing little sea turtles storming the taxiways and runways. I must have counted 20 of them total. There were 3-4 Port authority vehicles listening on the frequency and chasing down the turtles when we called in the locations. Several times they thought the turtles were all gone, and a jet would depart only to call back saying there were 3 more on the runway! I wish I had my camera, priceless moment

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Quoting Mir (Reply 14):That's especially true when talking about heavy jets, which shut down the runway for at least two minutes every time they go - those slow down the works even more.

Is that 2 minute spacing true even if the jet following is a heavier one...i.e. does a 747 have to wait 2 minutes after a 757 departs?

I always wondered why they don't order them up in ascending banks... like launch a CRJ, then some E-Jets, then the A320s, then 757, then 747s, etc... Instead of doing the A320/E-Jet/A320 back and fourth with a heavy thrown in every so often to slow things down even more.

When you have to breaststroke to your connecting flight...it's a crash!

Quoting Luv2cattlecall (Reply 20):I always wondered why they don't order them up in ascending banks... like launch a CRJ, then some E-Jets, then the A320s, then 757, then 747s, etc... Instead of doing the A320/E-Jet/A320 back and fourth with a heavy thrown in every so often to slow things down even more.

Because you just can't have them depart in that order. Not all are ready at the time they should and you can't hold the big guy for the little one...just the way it is...a better question would be: Why can't they use a runway for heavies only and the other for small-med planes - heavies as well, but behind them as you said...?

Quoting Mir (Reply 14):That's not uncommon during the departure rush, unfortunately. I was on the ground for about an hour and a half on BA112 a couple of weeks ago. There is no pre-defined route as such, but the ATC guys have their contingency plans for when the field backs up, and then the planes always follow the same pattern. When they're departing 22R, they form a line on 13L and another on taxiway C, let all the planes in one of the lines go, then let all the planes in the other line go. For 13R departures, the same principle exists, except the lines are on taxiways P and Q. From the METARs, you probably departed on 4L, which has one long line that extends down taxiway K and 13R as far as it needs to go (it can get all the way down to the end and loop around onto the taxiways if things get really screwed up).

But why can Heathrow cope with it with only 2 runways?? Sounds to me somebody screwed up at the slot allocations... Bigger planes, less frequency, thats what this industry needs!